Stem Stitch Tutorial

Goodness, how I love a good stem stitch.    It looks fancy and yet it is really quite simple when you get the hang of it.  I also really love it because I feel like it is a forgiving stitch, making it great for beginners.

This stitch is so good. It can be used to create stems (hence the name), outlines, lettering, and so many other things.  It can be used to create a straight line, used freeform, and to follow curvy lines. So let's get to it.

For the purposes of this tutorial, I have drawn this curvy line so that you can see the end game of what this will look like.

1. Bring your needle up through the fabric at the beginning point of the line (point A).  Insert your needle down at Point B.  You then want to come back up at a mid-point (point C) between Point A and Point B. 

2. Pull the thread through.  Essentially you will continue by repeating these same steps over and over again.  With thread pulled through at Point C, take your needle to and put it down at Point D and pull it up at Point B.

3. Repeat until you reach the end of the line.

HINTS:

• Use 1-3 strands of floss for a more delicate line.  Use 4-6 strands of floss for a thicker line.
• Mind your floss direction.  So if you look at the photos you can see that my floss is sitting above my needle as I create these stitches.  While it does not matter if your floss is above your needle or under needle (as it is all stem stitch), you do need to pick which way you lay your floss and stick with it as you follow the line.
• This is a stitch where it is better to keep your stitches consistent in length, tension, etc.  It just looks so much cleaner when you keep them uniform.
• Avoid making your stem stitches too long.  When your stem stitch is too long, they will appear jagged as they move around a curve.  So if you are embroidering something with tight super curve angles, aim for smaller stem stitches versus longer ones.

 To read through all the other stitches in my library, click HERE.

And here are some AOA DIY beginner patterns that you might enjoy.  Click on the image to take you to the listing: